


A Private Tradition

by SunnyD_lite



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Gen, Tag to Graduation Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-31
Updated: 2010-03-31
Packaged: 2017-10-08 13:45:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/76249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunnyD_lite/pseuds/SunnyD_lite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Family you choose versus family you're born with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Private Tradition

**Author's Note:**

> Tamingthemuse prompt: Father's Day  
> **A/N:** Bunches of thanks to **spiralleds** who did a super fast betaing job. All errors are, therefore, my own.  
> **Disclaimers:** I don't own the Buffy Verse, but Joss said play so here I am! Oh I quote, and cite, a Tom Stoppard play. I love this play, almost as much as Willow does!

"This is great, they even teach Latin. That might be an easy 'A' but do I want to learn or do I want a perfect GPA?"

"Willow, we just got OUT of school; why are you planning MORE classes?" Buffy had thrown herself across her friend's bed and was now staring over the edge where Willow was flipping through the UC-Sunnydale course calendar.

"But there's so much to learn: sociology, psychology, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastorical." At that Willow fell over giggling. She turned to look at Buffy while wiping her eyes. "So, you didn't end up reading _Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead_, did you?"

"Wills, Mayor? Ascension? Any of these ringing a bell? Ding?" Buffy blew a strand of hair off her face. "I got my diploma, Mom paid my tuition and I made sure my housing request got submitted - that's it. Important stuff all covered. Can't the great course selection quest wait? Please?" It was her turn to pull a face, and she used Willow's greatest weapon against her - puppy-dog eyes.

"But the good courses with the best profs fill up early!"

Buffy added a pout.

"Fine, and just to let you know, Xander's pout kicks yours! And Latin! I could help Giles more with the translations and let you know what the nifty legal terms mean like on the residence form; where they say the RA is not in loco parentis."

"In loco what?" Buffy felt her brow furrowing. Well, it wasn't like she'd have to worry about wrinkles. "Did we have to sign that part?"

"No silly, in loco parentis means in place of your parents. We'll both be over 18 so it doesn't apply to us. If we were under 18, the school would act as our parents for stuff like medical decisions and, hey, we could take a law course and learn all about it!"

"Wills!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%

It struck her as she did her Saturday night patrol down the main street that store windows could be commercialized by ANYTHING. It wasn't as blatant, a Giles word if she'd ever heard one, as the weeks before Mother's Day, but this year she really noticed the push for Father's Day. And that didn't include the ads from Hallmark and Home Depot and Circuit City. Normally, well there wasn't much over the last few years that had been normal.

Last year she'd just been pleased to have landed a job at that diner. No cards, definitely no presents. She paused in front of the pet store. H'uh, wonder if Hank had even noticed. He hadn't commented when she came back in the fall. Tapping the window to entice the puppies, Buffy decided to stop that pity train before it left the station.

The year before that had been his summer. They'd gone out to a restaurant and hit the mall. Just like they did every Sunday, as he didn't seem to know what to do with a teenage daughter.

She walked the alleys by the Bronze, looking for any late night snackers. Since graduation things had been pretty slow. Wonder if she could organize an all you could kill event every few months? She could ask Giles about that, just to see him clean his glasses.

This summer, neither her mom nor she expected that she'd spend time in L.A. Besides, staying in Sunnydale meant it was easier to avoid Angel's new set up. And it was kinda neat having a mother who knew why she'd been home late. She couldn't imagine having to go through that scene again with Hank.

Tilting her head, she wondered when she'd started thinking of him as "Hank". Willow called her parents by their first names. Xander just ignored the existence of such entities. After meeting them once or twice, she understood and from then on always insisted that they hang out at Willow's or her place. Plus, Mom might grumble, but she liked having the gang over, like she could keep an eye on them or something.

Where would they hang out now? Barbecuing the Mayor meant that the library was kaplooey. Did that mean that Giles lost _that_ job because of her too?

She remembered when Quinton fired him with all the snootiness of Cordelia when faced with Payless shoes. And yet he'd stood by her. During the same time that her real Dad couldn't even extract himself from his quarterly whatevers. Didn't a once a year event trump a fourly a year event? And didn't family trump work? Ever?

Several ideas swirled around her brain like a kaleidoscope. Father's Day. Support. Importance. In loco parentis. A pattern fell into place. She knew what she had to do.

It started then, and every year after she followed her own tradition and on the second Sunday of June presented Giles with a handmade card. The sentiment was always the same, because it had always been true.

"Thank you. For putting me first, for guidance when I'm lost, and for trust when I lead.   
You are not my parent or even in loco parentis. You are my Watcher by choice. You are the Watcher I choose.

Happy Watcher's Day,

Your Slayer,  
Buffy."


End file.
